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I liked Dan Bader’s comparison between karate and the art of
programming. In his latest newsletter
he writes:

I like to think mastering programming as a skill is quite similar
to mastering a physical skill like karate. […]

With both, it takes a long time to build up the right foundation. But
once “muscle memory” starts kicking in, your progress can
skyrocket. It’s all about making it through that first rough patch of
slow learning progress without losing your motivation.

Mastering a programming language means lifelong learning. The topic is
fractal—there’s always a way to expand your knowledge in some obscure
way. One can hit critical mass in terms of knowledge and be called an
expert, but it’s unlikely a single person will “know it all”.

A seasoned programmer acts deliberately and with an economy of
movement that a beginner can’t yet understand. Biological differences
like age, “IQ”, play less of a role. The more experienced dev still
codes circles around the eager newcomer.